The invention relates to an outer joint part for a constant velocity universal ball joint. The joint is produced from a tubular member formed from a plate metal part. The part has substantially longitudinally extending ball tracks intended to receive torque transmitting balls. Constant velocity universal ball joints of this type include the outer joint part described here and have a number of circumferentially distributed longitudinally extending ball tracks; an inner joint part with the same number of associated, circumferentially distributed, longitudinally extending ball tracks; torque transmitting balls received in the ball tracks associated with one another in the outer joint part and inner joint part; and a ball cage provided with circumferentially distributed windows in which the balls are accommodated individually and, in their entirety, held in one plane. The ball cage controls the balls on to the angle bisecting plane between the axes of the outer joint part and the inner joint part.
An outer joint part intended for a constant velocity universal ball joint and produced from a tubular member as a formed plate metal part is known from EP 2673128. The outer joint part, at one end, includes a first end portion which, relative to the central portion, is formed into a cylinder of a larger diameter. At the other end, the outer joint part includes a second end portion reduced to form a cone. The completely axis-parallel ball tracks run into the deformed end portions at the two ends of the outer joint part. After the end regions with the changed cross-sections are formed, the ball tracks are formed radially outwardly by a punch. The purpose of the formations at the two end regions is to avoid any cracks starting from the ends during the deformation process carried out to form the ball tracks.
The above-described outer joint part is limited to constant velocity universal ball joints with completely axis-parallel ball tracks; its design and production method do not allow it to be used for constant velocity universal ball joints whose ball tracks are not completely axis-parallel.